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“Of course not. Why would I need to go there when I have this here?” He gestures to the stage, and Blue, now down to a G-string and sheer diamond-encrusted bra, is back on the ground.

“So you’re telling me you haven’t seen Clover tonight?”

“Not at all. Haven’t seen her in a couple days. Why? Did she run away from you and your imbecilic misogyny?” his eyebrow lifts at me as he sips from his glass and I’m gonna fucking kill him.

“You motherfucking cock sucker.” I lean down and grab on to both of his dark blue suit jacket lapels, lifting him out of his chair. “When I find out what you did to her, I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

Braxton doesn’t try to wiggle free or strike back. He just grins wickedly at me. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Colton. But if you’re going to come after me in my own establishment, you better come prepared.”

Looking around, I see half a dozen men in black suits have stepped out of the shadows and are primed to move on me. Braxton holds a hand out low, gesturing for them to hold.

“Because unlike the women you fuck, I won’t lie down and take it.” He finishes whispering in my face. The thought of him touching Clover, my woman, of him taking her, fucking her, hurting her almost breaks me then and there. My grip tightens on his jacket, and I hear a few stitches pop under the strain.

“Trust me, I’ll be very fucking prepared.” Annunciating every last goddamn syllable deep in my throat, so he knows just how fucking serious I am. Releasing him, I step back as he straightens his jacket with one hand, the other still holding his drink. “Watch yourself, Shaw.”

His low, amused chuckle almost compels me to reach out and strangle him. Rosie’s soft hand on my forearm is the only thing that stops me. She looks up at me with stern but soft, deep ocean blue eyes.

“Not now, Nix. Soon.” She whispers only for me to hear. I let her lead me back to the elevators. Noticing as we walk, Zander lingering behind us, watching Blue as she sits back on her hula hoop, and it lifts her a few feet off the stage. That’s when I notice her eyes are glued on Zander as well. What the fuck is that about? I didn’t know Zander had ever been to the Jewelry Box before. At least not as a patron. He’s had an assignment or two as a private bodyguard for someone important or another that ended with him here working. Considering his semi-celebrity past, I didn’t think he would dare come here for fear of the gossip rags. Guess he found a way to attend without even us knowing he was here. There is so much about my family I realize I don’t know.

This time when I slide into the driver’s seat of the Camaro, it’s not Beau sitting next to me but Rosie.

“You know you shouldn’t have come here.”

“He needed to know I am not going to let him get away with this.”

“I get that, but you could have made it much worse. That could have gone down way differently, and you know it.” She’s right, of course. If Braxton hadn’t waved off his goons, it could have been much messier for everyone. My temper tends to get the better of me at times. Especially when it comes to the girl I love.

Panic and fear like I haven’t felt since Robin died starts to twine its way through my veins. Bringing me crashing down from my adrenaline high, forcing me to sag in my seat.

“I can’t lose her, Rosie.” My words are weak and broken when they come out barely on a breath.

“I know, Nix. None of us can. She’s one of us now, and we will find her. Even if I have to kill Braxton myself.” Her smile is weak but filled with promises I hope she can keep. In this quiet moment of vulnerability, I decide I need to tell someone about us. Me and Clover. Someone has to know how serious I am about her.

“You know, me and Clover—”

“I know.” She interrupts my confession. “We all pretty much know.”

“Wait. How?”

“It’s kind of obvious, Nix. Plus, Clover is my best friend. She tells me everything.” She admits with a wink, a little more upbeat now, as I start the car and pull out of the Jewelry Box’s parking lot.

“So she told you about us fucking?”

“What?! No. She only told me about the kiss. When did you sleep with her?” her voice is almost a shrill shriek finding out that Clover actuallydidn’ttell her everything.

“The first time was that night I took her out of the club that you so thoughtfully took her to.” Revving the engine, I tear down the street headed for the CCS office’s only a few minutes from here.

“The first time?” Rosie slumps in her seat and pouts. “You guys have hooked up more than once, and she never even told me about it?” She sounds disappointed and a little hurt that Clover didn’t tell her.

“Ya know it’s really new to us, and I don’t think she knew what to make of it. Hell, I didn’t know what to make of it at first either.” I sure as hell know what it is now. When I find her, which I will, I can’t even think about the possibility of not finding her. I will tell her. Tell her how much I fucking love her and that she’s mine now.

“But you do now?” Rosie asks softly from my passenger seat.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Chapter 3

Clover